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Hepatitis B vaccination in patients with chronic hepatitis C
Author(s) -
Lee ShouDong,
Chan ChoYu,
Yu MayIng,
Lu ReiHwa,
Chang FullYoung,
Lo KwangJuei
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9071(199912)59:4<463::aid-jmv7>3.0.co;2-5
Subject(s) - medicine , vaccination , immunology , hepatitis b , immunogenicity , hepatitis , hepatitis b vaccine , titer , serology , hepatitis c virus , hepatitis c , virology , viral disease , hepatitis b virus , antibody , virus , hbsag
The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity, and possible therapeutic effect of hepatitis B vaccine in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The subjects studied included three groups: group I, 26 patients with chronic hepatitis C who were susceptible to hepatitis B virus infection; group II, 35 healthy subjects who were susceptible to both hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infection; and group III, 30 patients with chronic hepatitis C receiving no hepatitis B vaccination as controls. Three 20 μg/dose of recombinant hepatitis B vaccines were given to subjects of groups I and II in months 0, 1, and 6. Blood samples from the subjects were collected before and 1 month after each dose of vaccination for serological testing. The subjects of groups I and II had similar antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti‐HBs) response rates after the first (30.8% vs. 17.1%), second (61.5% vs. 60.0%), and third (88.5% vs. 91.4%) doses of vaccination. Also, their geometric mean titers of anti‐HBs did not differ much when vaccination completed in 7 months (360 vs. 581 mIU/ml). During vaccination period, patients with chronic hepatitis C demonstrated no significant change of serum cytokines and HCV RNA levels, but significantly lowered ALT levels after three doses of vaccination. Hepatitis B vaccination is safe and immunogenic in patients with chronic hepatitis C. It did not significantly affect their levels of HCV RNA, but tended to lower ALT levels. J. Med. Virol. 59:463–468, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.